The Manakula Vinayagar Temple is one of the famous ancient temple is in Puducherry, a Union Territory situated in the southern part of Indian sub-continent. The temple is 400 meters West of Bay of Bengal Sea, 165 Km South of Chennai (Capital of Tamil Nadu State), 23 Km of North of Cuddalore and 35 Km East of Villupuram, TamilNadu. The main deity ⩠Manakula Vinayagar?(Pranavamurthy) of this temple is facing east and the temple is bordered on east by Orlean Street (Now Manakula Vinayagar Koil Street, south by Jawaharlal Nehru Street, north by Law-de-Louristhon street and west by a canal running north-south.

Nomenclature of this Temple

This temple is called as Manakula Vinyagar, as that time there was pond (Kulam in tamil) on the western side of this temple and due to proximity of Sea,
pond was full of sand (Manal in tamil), hence it was called as ᮡkulam?

Presently the temple is built in 7913 sq. ft.
with outer mandapam, Raja gopuram, Kodikambam
(18ft tall gold plated), front mandap,
Mahamandap, Sanctum, walk around area, other
deity prahara, kitchen, office, Urcharvar deity,
Marriage Hall, Inside the temple, the presiding
deity placed in Karuvarai area 4 X 4 square
place as the sanctum and the Vimanam above
covered fully with gold plated. The presiding
deity Moolavar in Sanctum blesses his devotees
with four hands, the top two holding Angusam,
Pasam and the right lowe hand with abayadana
muthra and the left one varadhana muthra.

His form was the usual one as on his images. It
was the first time I ever saw him and I expressed
some surprise over his sudden apparition.Then he
told me,
"You see I am a living being quite real and
concrete - and to give you a concrete proof of my
reality I shall send to you henceforth, all the
money you will need". And on this Promise he
disappeared. He has kept his promise for years and
the money was coming abundantly. Then, in 1939,
the second world war started and everything got
spoiled.
However, the true financial difficulties started
only ten years later in 1949. Since then it is a
strugglebr />
But if now you invoke Ganesh sincerely, he may
resume his good offices, through you. It can be
tried.
With love and blessings On the occasion of the
sacred installation of KUMBHABHISHEGAM, I offer my
sincere prayer to the Lord Ganesha who has been
always kind and helpful to me in many ways on many
occasions. I also offer my respectful Pranam to
the Mother who has been instrumental in putting me
in touch with Ganesha by encouraging me to invoke
him for her work.
- Mother Mira, Arabindo Ashram

I will tell you my own experience about him.
In 1930 we were having regular meditations in the
Prosperity hall, on the significance of flowers.
At one of these meditations, quite unexpectedly,
Ganesh appeared suddenly to my inner view. He was
of golden light and surrounded by a very luminous
golden aura.

Words of Mother (Sri Aurobindo Ashram) about our ideal

The Kavasam for Moolavar deity in 14 parts like
Gireedam, two ears, Thumbikkai, 2 chestparts,
belly, two legs, four hands, peetam were made in
916.7pure gold with Hallmarked certificate, under
the estimate of 1.28 crores, the amount was fully
collected from the devotees on their gracious
donations. On the first time, the golden kavasam
wearing ceremony was held on 13-06-2008.
Afterwards, on important festival days, the said
goldenkavasam weared in Moolavar deity by
devasthanam for the free dharshan of the devotees
and other days the said kavasam will be weared to
moolavar only on payment as fixed.

Golden Kavasam

Above the Moolavar deity (Sanctum), the existing
Vimana was fully covered with golden plate by
using the gold of lOKg weight, which was made on
the basis of donations from the devotees. The
first Maha kumbabishegam with golden vimana was
held on 24-01-1999. In the Vimana, the circular
plane in between the roof and the sigaram were
laid with various Vinayagar posture embossed in
gold plate which is a feast to devotees' eyes.

Golden Vimanam

The golden chariot was made purely on the basis of
collection of donations from the devotees. The
total weight of the gold used in this chariot is
7.5kg with the estimate of around Rs.35 lakhs. The
height & breadth of the chariot is 10ft & 6ft. The
chariot was fully made up in teakwood covered by
copper plates duly engraved with beautiful art
works and the plates duly attached with golden
rakes. At first the running of the said Golden
Chariot was held on 05-10-2003 in a grand manner.
At present most of the devotees are very much
interested to fulfill their prayer by pulling the
Golden chariot inside the temple on payment of
fixed fees. Once in year i.e. on Vijayadhasami day
the said Golden Chariot run outside of the temple
i.e. only in the maada veedhis.

Golden Chariot

On the north side of the sanctum, Komugi is kept
for abishega water will come out and a small
temple for Sandikeswarar. On the southern side,
pragara for walk to go to round the
ardhamandapam and Sanctum area about 106.56 sq.
mt. donated by the Mother of Sri Aurobindo
Ashram for extension on 25.12.1968. Now, on the
western side of the pragara on the left hand
side Sri Bala Vinayagar temple below the silver
vimana and on the eastern side of the pragara on
the right hand side Sri Balasubramaniar temple
below the silver vimana were found. Next to
north pragara entrance on the right hand side is
Marriage Mandap, the place wherein used for all
kind of poojas, homams and Brahmothsavam and
Pavithrothsavam were performed to the
Urchavamurthy, during the festival days.
Different kind of vahanas kept safely at vahana
Mandap nearby the temple.

Temple and its Area

Prior to French regime, the temple is now was
called weaver೴reet and was renamed as Orlean
street by them. This place was also part of the
town where French and white people lived. They
made every effort to remove the deity from this
place and went even to extend of throwing the
deity in sea and every time he came back to the
same place, where the temple is now. Later the
temple was built near the Bay of Bengal shores as
per the Ganapathy Agamam and was named Bhuvanesa
Vinayagar Temple.

Inside the temple the southern side pragaram wall
three rows of gods sculptures and stone
engravings are placed. In top row 33 different
types of vinayagar idols and in second row 25
types of vinayaga idols and in the third row
stone gravings of Vinayagar Kavasam,
Bharathiyar֩nayagar Nanmanimalai,
Ashtalakshmi sthothiram, Idumban & Kadamban
Kavasam and Sri Vinayagar Asthothiram were found.

In the front Mandap vithanam and inside
historical sceneਡve been painted taking the
services of renowned painters. Some of them are
Birth of Lord Vinayagar, killing of Kayamuga
Sura, Vinayagar marrying Suddhi and Buddhi,
Vinayagar blessing Nambiyandar Nambi, etc.,

Nearly 300 years before a saint standing 6ft
tall, broad forehead, glittering blissful eyes,
big hole bearing ear, small pot bellied with
hand extending up to knee cap and hands with
lotus regai, guru medu and sanimedu at a height
showing arul gnana ragai. He got enlightenment
from this deity and attained Samadhi in this
temple. From then on people bring their new born
here for worship before going to any other
temple.